Floor coatings provide numerous advantages. For example, these coatings may be used to protect the underlying floor surface from damage associated with dirt, wear, exposure, or spillage. These coatings may also be used to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance and/or to improve overall ambient lighting (e.g., from increased floor reflection). Still further, by sealing the underlying floor surface, these coatings may simplify subsequent floor cleaning procedures. These coatings are typically applied as a liquid which is subsequently cured to form a durable layer over the floor surface. Curing is generally achieved through thermal treatment and/or exposure to ambient conditions.
However, even with these advantages, these coatings do have drawbacks. For instance, cure times for many conventional floor coatings can be substantial, e.g., anywhere from several hours to several days. As a result, floor traffic may be significantly interrupted during the curing process. While such interruptions may be acceptable in limited circumstances (e.g., new construction, remodeling), long cure times may make application of these coatings difficult, or, in some instances, impracticable.
Floor finishing methods and compositions are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication 20030032571 to Olson et al. (Feb. 13, 2003), the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. See, also, U.S. Patent Publication 20020164434 A1 to Tarvin et al. (Nov. 7, 2002) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,216, the contents of the entirety of both of which are incorporated herein by this reference
To reduce these lengthy cure times, some floor coating materials are formulated to cure relatively instantly when subjected to ultraviolet (UV) radiation as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,127, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. These coatings typically include photo-responsive components that cure when exposed to particular wavelengths of UV radiation. In addition to reducing cure time, UV-curable coatings may also reduce material costs (e.g., by eliminating solvents) and/or operational costs (e.g., no mixing and no conventional thermal curing equipment required).
While they may permit relatively instant curing, many conventional methods for UV curing of floor coatings use a single wavelength of UV radiation. These methods require a UV-curing apparatus having substantial power requirements. As a result, wide acceptance of these coatings and their associated curing apparatus has not been achieved.
Traditional coatings and adhesives use organic solvents and water to reduce the viscosity of coating resins enough to allow coatings to be sprayed, brushed, rolled or otherwise applied to a surface. Heat and time are required to evaporate the solvent and/or water from the coating and to coalesce and cure the coating after it is dry. The traditional way is inefficient and has several negative consequences, including: substantial application and drying times leading to production and operational down time and inefficiency, emission of dangerous Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from solvent based products, off-gassing of other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, emission of carbon dioxide and other combustion products from application equipment and energy sources.